Many automotive vehicles, especially alternative fuel powered vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles, electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles, are increasingly equipped to provide users with driving or operating modes that attempt to optimize fuel economy. Such driving or operating modes may be referred to as “economy” or “econ” modes of vehicle operation.
An economy mode of vehicle operation may include several changes to the driving or operating behavior of the vehicle. Such changes may include, but are not limited to, limiting the speed of the vehicle, limiting the acceleration of the vehicle, modifying vehicle acceleration response characteristics, and limiting, changing or altering the settings of the climate control system of the vehicle. By improving fuel economy, these types of changes can help to extend the operating range of the vehicle.
A problem associated with alternative fuel powered vehicles, such as hybrid electric, electric, fuel cell, ethanol, E85, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, is that there are fewer fuel stations or locations than for gasoline or diesel fuel powered vehicles. This can make it difficult for a user of an alternative fuel powered vehicle to travel or plan trips without having to consider vehicle range and the locations of alternative fuel stations. A similar situation may also exist in rural, sparsely populated, or less developed geographic areas with respect to conventional fuel stations for gasoline or diesel, where the number of fuel stations may be limited and those stations may be located at great distances from one another. As well, a problem associated with economy mode vehicle operation is that the vehicle user or driver is required to manually select the economy operating mode, such as by actuating a “button” or other device in the vehicle.
Thus, there exists a need for a method and system for extending an operating range of a motor vehicle, such as a vehicle for use with an alternative fuel, whereby an economy mode of vehicle operation may be entered automatically based on an estimated vehicle range and an estimated distance to a fuel location, thereby assisting a vehicle driver or user to reach a fuel station. Such a method and system, however, would still provide the vehicle driver or user the ability to manually control the vehicle operating mode as between an economy mode and other modes of operation.